Firm up at the firm: Exercise in the office? Why not?

August 30, 2012|Tribune Media Services

We do a lot of our everyday routines in funny places. A few people drink coffee in the shower. Some eat breakfast when running out of the door. Others put on makeup as they speed toward work. So, what about exercising in the office?

Sure, breaking a sweat at your desk may seem a little farfetched, but why? It actually makes a lot of sense. Working out at work can make you less stressed. It can help boost your energy level. And, most importantly, it can help sculpt the body you’ve been dreaming of, which should help catch the attention of that attractive new hire.

But what are you going to do without any gym equipment? Mark Lauren, author of “You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises for Men and Women” (Light Of New Orleans Publishing, $14.95), says that your own bodyweight is all you need to get a great workout. So you just lie down in the middle of the office and do some pushups? Lauren says there are more discrete ways to get ripped in your work clothes. Take the hand press, for instance. Put your hands out in front of your chest and press your palms together. Hold for ten seconds, rest and repeat eight times. With each set, you’ll bring your hands slightly further away from chest until your elbows are completely extended for the last one. No one in your office will be the wiser.

Getting started

“The best exercises are those that engage many muscles at once,” says Lauren. “One such exercise that can be done anywhere is the bodyweight squat. Squeezing in just 5 sets of 10 repetitions throughout the day will make a difference.”

But a bodyweight squat? Isn’t that a little noticeable?

“Find ways to sneak in some exercise when no one is around,” says Lauren. “Maybe there is an empty stairwell that you can use on the way in or out of the office each day.”

Lauren has a method he calls “Ins & Outs.” Every time you walk past a certain, discrete place, do a quick exercise. This can add up quickly. Imagine if you did 10 bodyweight squats every time you went to get water or went to the bathroom. In almost no time, you’d be making a huge difference.

But exercise is only part of the battle. You can’t go back to your desk, after doing your “Ins & Outs,” and eat a half-pound of fudge. You need a steady diet. “The importance of proper nutrition to health and performance cannot be overstated,” says Lauren. He recommends meats, whole pieces of vegetables and fruits, nuts, seeds, eggs and fish.

These foods make great snacks or meals and they take very little time to prepare,” says Lauren.

Best of all, your boss is going to appreciate your new routine.

”Working out improves your immune system so you're less likely to have to miss a workday,” says Lauren. “Most importantly, your energy production will be improved allowing you to work longer and harder. Basically, increased fitness allows you to accomplish more with less stress.”

If we think it’s normal to see someone battling with mascara while shifting gears on the Stevenson, you should have no trouble getting in shape while you’re on the clock.